I saw this brake some time back and saw a couple of reviews on it. There wasn’t much on this site, so I decided to give it a try and be the guinea pig for it, seeing if it would be worth using over a PWS FSC556. I wasn’t overly fond of the length of the PWS and the Rainier Arms RMC being quite loud as well as the fireball it produces. And being a cheap sonofagun, I wasn’t willing to shell out for the Battlecomp. Anyway, overall impressions:
Materials used: Made of 17-4PH heat treated stainless steel with a black nitride finish. There really shouldn’t ever be a problem with corrosion on this between the nitriding and stainless steel.
Size: Equal to a standard A2 flash suppressor. There are no places on this brake to pin to a barrel and the OAL will prohibit it from bringing a 14.5 to a legal length unless it’s being used on an SBR.
Workmanship: The manufacturing quality was outstanding. No obvious tool marks were visible and the device had undergone a black nitride finish closely matching the color on the DD upper and rails.
Installation: The Gamma went on just like any other muzzle device and I was able to use a standard armorer’s wrench to tighten it down. However, upon installation, I had to use two small shims to get the device timed right. Otherwise, it threaded and torqued on easy enough to hand tight standard. I used the included crush washer and PWS shims.
It was installed on a factory Daniel Defense M4V3. Firing was undertaken with CBC (Magtech) M193 55 grain (100 rounds), Winchester RA556B 62 grain (30 rounds) and Mk 311, Mod 0 frangible (50 rounds). Buffer was an H2 and a Springco Blue action spring was installed. While not a major test, it did give me enough of a feel to compare it to other brakes I’ve used before. And I wanted to use full power loads as opposed to lower powered .223.
Shooting impressions: Well, kind of left me with a “meh” feeling which I’ll outline below.
Muzzle climb: While muzzle climb was tamed for the most part, the recoil still made the rifle jump off target. I was expecting to have more of the recoil tamed, but there was still a sharp jolt as compared to a gentle push. It seemed to do better with a standing unsupported position, but from a bench rest position, there was a lot more felt recoil.
Sound increase: Unknown since I was shooting indoors, but there only appeared to be a minor increase in sound. I also had someone blasting a .30-06 a couple of points down, so it was hard to distinguish at times.
Muzzle blast: Was fairly significant even in an indoor range. Plenty of sparks and fireballs were seen and could be a significant problem at night. And there was a noticeable concussion. Whether or not it was because I was indoors remains to be seen as I was on the last firing point and against a concrete wall. Being outdoors could maybe help this, I’m not sure.
Felt recoil: As stated, there was more than I should have been expecting for a “brake.” The PWS I’ve used before seemed to take away most of the recoil, far more than the Gamma. And the Rainier Arms RMC gives just about the same braking ability as the Gamma.
What I like: For me, the A2 is about the perfect size of comp/brake. I’m not overly fond of the lengthier PWS so the OAL of the Gamma was what I liked. I thought the workmanship was spot on.
What I don’t like: The obvious installation issue in having to use shims was something I’m not comfortable with, especially if the brake wasn’t shipped with them. However, it is something VG6 should take a look at in the manufacturing process to remove this minor annoyance in the future. I suppose I’m picky, but I expect most muzzle devices to go on and time correctly with just a crush washer unless it specifies to use shims. Minor adjustments to the settings in the manufacturing process could alleviate this problem.
Additionally, I was expecting a lot more braking action as opposed to a standard A2 especially with two chambers. The sharp jolt was not something that would be an issue in the long run, but was something that was noticeable and not expected.
Parting thoughts: Overall, there really isn’t anything special so far with this brake and nothing game changing. I need more time to give it a more thorough evaluation, but for the moment, I probably won’t be buying another yet. It is another alternative to other items on the market right now, but whether it is better than others? I plan on keeping this on my DD for the moment unless the sharp recoil starts affecting the accuracy (which it hasn’t so far) but will keep my eyes out for something else. I will probably end up doing a side by side test with the same ammo and lot with the BCM Gunfighter Comp in the near future, but for now, I’m not convinced this is better than other brakes on the market.